Composite rail.



E. E. SLICK.

COMPOSITE RAIL.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 27. 1914.

Patented Dec.22,1914.

ATTOR/V cad UNITED STAIES PATENT OFFIGE.

EDWIN E. SLICK, OF WESTMONI' BOROUGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

COMPOSITE BAIL.

My invention relates to improvements in rails which are adapted for use on standard railways, street railways, traction lines and other tracks.

One of the essential features of my inven-' tion consists in constructing a composite rail, the head or tread portion of which is of massive or compact form and outline, and is preferably made of hard and tough steel which is adapted to withstand wear and service.

The girder or supporting member of my rail may be made of the beam or channel type, as preferred, and of soft or medium steel, the section, depth and properties being regulated to meet the demands of the loads and service to which the composite railwill be subjected. I v

In order to be sure of providing a safe and strong construction and one which will lend itself readily to maintenance, I prefer to form the supporting member of a strength in itself sufficient to carry the loads of the rolling stock to the ties or substructure, leaving the head portion toresist the wear and friction. In certain. cases, however, I mayfigure upon the head portion and the supporting or girder member working conjointly to carry the loads, as by my manner of joining these two portions, they are made substantially as one.

Having thus given a general description of my invention, I will now, in order to make the matter more clear, refer to the accompanying drawings, in which like nu-' merals represent like parts.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion I of one rail of a railway track, showing my improved construction, the bottom member in this figure being of girder or modified I-beam form. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section on the line II-II of Fig. 1, showing Application fil ed. October 27, 1914:. Serial lie-868,792

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Dec. 22, 1914;,

one form of section of my construction. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing a sligat variation in the conformation of the grooves in the side of thehead portion, the central portion of. which is curved in Fig. 3 whereas it is straight in Fig. 2. v, Fig. 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectionof a portion of. my composite rail head, a portion of the upper flange of the supportinggirder memher and showing the means for fastening thehead portion to the girder portion, Fig.

5 shows my constructionas applied'to a grooved girder rail such as is used on electric traction roads... I

My construction is particularly adapted for grooved girder rails especially whenlaid in pavements as it allows the head portion to be renewed without disturbing the other portions thus promoting .ease and economy.

Referring. now to the various characters of reference on the drawings. 1 represents. a rail head of form adapted foruse on standard railroads, traction railroads. or on other railroads, this being. a center bearing rail, 1 represents a grooved girder rail head for traction roads, 2 represents groo es formed in the sides of the heads, thereby providing small or rudimentary flanges extending laterally from the lower portions of the rail heads, sa d flanges having surfaces 3 which are preferablv somewhat inclined from thehorirontal and adapted to cot perate with the fastening means for the nurpose of securing the head portion and the girder or base portion together.

4 represents a clamp bar wh ch is o iginally rolled or otherwise formed to the section indicated by the full and dotted lines as clearly-shown in-Fig. 4, which clampbar may be made of various lengths as or shorter than the rails. and which preferably is arranged to break ioints with the same. This clamp bar is originally formed with an upwardly extending comparatively thinportion 5as shown in the dotted lines and with a lower beveled or inclined side 6, adapted to fit against the correspondingly inclined inner surface of the locking flange 9. Between the clampbar 4 and the sloping surface 3 of-the rudimentary flange of the rail head I insert a wedge bar 12, the cross-section of which is in general of wedge-shaped form with the thinner edge downward; this being inserted while the upper portion ofthe clamp bar is in place and of the form shown by the full lines below and the dot-v locking flanges 9. lhe girder is also provided with the web 10 and lower base flanges 11 as shown. p w -The wedge bars 12 may be of the same lengths as the clampbars 4:, and maybe adapted to break joints with the same, orif preferred may have their ends adjacent to theends of said clamp'bars. Splice bars for connecting the ends of the adjacent portions of, my supporting member or girder por- 'tions are indicated generally in Fig. 1 ,of.

the drawing, together with the'splice bolts and nuts therefor. 1

I prefer to form the head portions of the rails of hard toughv steel, and to make the girderor supporting member of medium or structural steel, whereby the head, which is subjected to wear, will withstand such service and the lower portion which carries the weight to the substructure is well adapted to do so.

In placingmy rails in position, I prefer to set the supporting ties securely and line the supporting girder members thereon in any welllmown manner. I then place the head portion of the rail in such a way that its base rests on the top surface of the upper flange of the girder and with one of the ru- Y dimentary flanges at the base portion of the head in close contact with the inner inclined surface of the adj accnt locking flangef), so

that the sloping. surface 3 is against the correspondingly inclined inner surface of the locking flange, whereby this side of the rail is held firmly and directly by the girder portion;

I then place the clamp bar l in position, the form of this bar now being as shownby the dotted lines. In the space between the inner surface of the clamp bar and the groove. in the side ofthe head portion of the rail, I then insert the wedge bar 12 with its narrowest portion downward,

but with its lower ed e a certain or considb erable distance above the horizontal'upper surface of the flange 8 of the girder portion.

1 then by the means of any suitable apparatus' bend down the upwardly projecting thinneredge of the clamp bar 4 to the position shown by the full lines inFigs. 2 3

and 4. I can do this by hammering or press ing'it at intervals at different locations or continuously, but prefer to perform this operation' by a traversing rolling machine which exerts a rolling pressure on the outer and upper surfaces of the clamp bars and may repeat this rolling as often as necesj sary to secure the rail heads firmly in their positions. I may also apply this rolling new or remove a wornout rail head.

the top flange of the girder-portion 8 as shown. v H a By means of my construction the lower-- or supporting member is maintamed 1n position in the road-bed and none of its flanges nor other portions need be bent nor disturbed in any manner n order to place a The clamp bars may be made of medium or of comparatively soft steel-which will allow them to be bent readily to the forms desired and this is accomplished more eas ily, economically and surely than to attempt to bend over rail flanges or other portions of very hard steel, or to attempt to-bend integral portions of the head or base members of the compound rail. 1 may,-how ever, make the clamp bars of hardsteel of high elastic limit, in which case, they may be of lighter sections, if desirable.

Although l have shown and described my improvements in considerable detail, I do not wish to be limited to the exact and spe-- cific details shown and described, but may use such substitutes, modifications or equivalents thereof, as are embraced within the scope of my invention, or as pointed out in the claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: p

l. A compound rail comprising a head portion, a base portion provided with a locking flange, a clamping bar adapted to be held by said locking flange, a bar of wedge section between the clamp bar and the head portion, a portion of said clamping bar being bent into contact with said wedge bar.

2. A. compound rail comprising a head portion, a base portion provided with integral locking flanges on the edges thereof, a clamping bar, adapted to be held by one of said locking flanges, a bar of wedge section between the clamp bar and the head portion, a portion of said clamping bar being bent into contact with said wedge bar.

ing bar adapted to be held by the other locking flange, a wedge bar between the clamp bar and one of the head flanges, a part of said clamping bar being bent over the wedge bar.

5. A compound rail comprising a head portion, comparatively small flanges on the ower edges thereof, a girder base portion, the upper flanges of which are provided with integral locking flanges, a clamping bar adapted to be held by one of said looking flanges, a wedge bar between the clamping bar and one of the head flanges, a portion of said clamping bar being bent into contact with the wedgebar:

6. A compound rail comprising a compact head portion with longitudinally grooved sides forming small flanges on the lower edges thereof, a girder base portion, the edges of the upper flanges of which project upwardly and inwardly forming integral locking flanges, a clamping bar adapted to be held by one of said locking flanges and bent into contact with awedge bar which is located between the clamping bar and one of the head flanges.

7 A compound rail comprising a compact head portion provided with small flanges on the lower edges thereof, a girder base portion provided with upper flanges, the edges of which are turned upwardly and inwardly, thereby forming integral locking flanges. a clamping bar, provided with an inclined side adapted to fit under one of said locking flanges, a wedge bar between the clamping bar and the head portion, the upper portion of said clamping bar being bent into contact with the wedge bar.

8. A compound rail comprising a compact head portion provided with small flanges on the lower edges thereof, a girder base portion provided with upper flanges the edges of which are turned'upwardly and inwardly, thereby forming integral locking flanges, a clamping bar provided with an inclined side adapted to fit under one of said locking flanges, a wedge bar between the clamping bar and the head portion, the upper portion of said clamping bar being bent into contact with said wedge bar.

9. A compound rail comprising a compact.

head portion of hard tough material, provided with comparatively small flanges on the lower side edges thereof, a girder base portion of softer material provided with 4. A compound rail comprising a com- 7 upper flanges, the edges of which are upwardly and inwardly turned, thereby forming locking flanges, the portion between said locking flanges being adapted to serve as a seat for the rail head, a clamping bar, portions of which are adapted to fit under and to be held by one of said locking flanges, a wedge bar between the clamping bar and the other flange of the head portion, the upper part of said clamping bar being bent into contact with the wedge bar.

10. A compound rail comprising ahead portion of hard material, a girder base portion of softer material, said base portion being provided with a locking flange formed integraltherewith, a clamping bar adapted tom and rudimentary flanges extending laterally ofthe loweredges thereof, "a girder base portion the edges of the upper flanges of which are upwardly and inwardly turned forming locking members, the portion of said upper flange between the locking members being adapted to provide a rail seat, a

clamping bar, the lower portion of which is adaptedto fit under one of said locking members, a wedge bar between said clamping bar and the head portion, the upper portion of said clamping bar being bent into contact with the wedge bar aforesaid.

12. A compound rail comprising a head portion, a base portion provided with an inwardly turned locking flange, a clamping bar of comparatively small cross-section adapted to be held by said locking flange, a wedge bar between said clamping bar and head portion, a portion of said clamping bar being bent into contact with said wedge bar.

13. A compound rail comprising a head portion, comparatively small lateral flanges on the lower edges thereof, a girder base portion the edges of the flange of which are upwardly and inwardly turned, thereby forming flanges, a clamping bar of comparatively small section adapted to be held by one of said locking flanges, a wedge bar between said clamping bar and head portion, a portion of said clamping bar being bent into contact with the wider edges of the wedge bar aforesaid.

In testimony whereof I hereto afiiX my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

EDWIN E. SLICK.

Witnesses A. DIX TITTLE, PLUMA F. LONGSHORE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by'addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

, Washington, D. G. 

